It's been a long haul for John Brown's Body since their humble beginnings in Ithaca. Like many eclectic, horn-based bands, the group has seen members come and go over its 18 years. But now, after 10 albums and years of rigorous touring, the band has focused its sound and its membership and is soldiering on.

Of the group's original members, drummer Tommy Benedetti is all that remains. The octet has seen ample turnover and tragedy since its genesis in 1995, but Benedetti says they're finally on solid footing.

"We don't like turnover, but sometimes you've got to deal with things that pop up," he says. "You have to weather the storms. Sometimes it's not easy, but it's always worth it at the end of the day."

John Brown's Body plays its own brand of reggae funk that Benedetti describes as "future roots" music.

In all, more than 20 people have at some point or another been a member of John Brown's Body. Benedetti and co-founder Kevin Kinsella formed the core of the band until tragedy struck in 2006.

In June of 2006, bassist Scott Palmer died after a short-lived battle with cancer. Palmer's death drove the band to a crossroads. Benedetti and backup singer Elliot Martin wanted to keep playing. Others didn't.

"It was a hard decision to make after Scotty in 2006 and some of the long time guys split," Benedetti says. "But it felt like the right thing to do. Musically, there were signs pointing to Elliot taking over the songwriting and bringing out more of that aspect of the band and reinventing the sound a little bit and taking the music to a deeper, darker place. It made sense, but there was a period where it definitely wasn't easy."

Ultimately, Kinsella, the band's lead singer and formative songwriter, left the group. Martin took over songwriting duties and the band plodded on.

In 2008, the group released Amplify, its first album since Palmer's death and the subsequent changeover. The Martin-heavy album signaled a new, more progressive direction for the band. Critical in shaping that direction was legendary local producer Jocko Randall.

John Brown's Body recorded the 2008 disc at More Sound Studio in Syracuse with Randall. They'd met him years earlier at a music festival in upstate New York. Randall went on to spend seven years on the road with the band as the front of house engineer.

"Jocko's a longtime member of the family," Benedetti says.

Randall represents only part of the group's ties to upstate. Singer Elliot Martin grew up in Ithaca and still lives there. The rest of the band is split between Brooklyn and Boston.

Now, five years after Amplify, John Brown's Body has released its newest collection of material, Kings and Queens. The album continues along the path forged by its predecessor as it strays from its traditional reggae roots towards. Benedetti calls it a more "progressive" sound.

"I think it's some of our best stuff yet," Benedetti says. "It's the best representation of the band where it is now. It combines the really progressive vibe of the band but also capturing the organic feel of a bunch of musicians playing together."